Nothing but the breast As a salute to mother's milk, breastfeeding moms are encouraged to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week DANETTE DOOLEY Special to The Telegram

Shukrije Keraki breastfeeds her two-month-old daughter, Alma. - Photo by Danette Dooley/Special to The Telegram

Shukrije Keraki and her family lived in a refugee camp for 10 years before they came to Canada. She, her husband and their five sons moved to Newfoundland from Kosovo almost two years ago.

While life in a war-torn country and then in a refugee camp meant living with uncertainty, one thing Keraki could provide to her children was breast milk.

"Alma breastfed, too," Keraki says, glancing at her two-month-old daughter sleeping in an infant's chair.

Janet Fox-Beer, a public health nurse with Eastern Health, said 2008 statistics show that 64 per cent of mothers in this province were breastfeeding their newborns.

But by the time the babies were six months old, the number had dropped to 12.9 per cent.

"In Canada the six-month rate is only 16.4 per cent ...," Fox-Beer said, noting that the World Health Organization recommends six months of breastfeeding as the "gold standard" infant feeding practice for long-term health.

Protection

Breast milk provides protection against illnesses, Fox-Beer said, in addition to helping mother and baby bond.

It's a lifesaver for babies in war-torn countries, but Fox-Beer says it should be promoted for all living conditions.

She has first-hand experience of how breast milk can help in an emergency situation.

Her daughter, Katie, was born with a severe heart condition and, just months after her birth had to be taken to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.

"When we came home, we were only here about an hour when we lost all the power in St. John's during one of these ice storms," Fox-Beer recalled.

"For four or five days we didn't have power or electricity."

Had Fox-Beer not been breastfeeding, it would have been difficult to provide warm formula.

"We couldn't cure the problem Katie had with her heart, but the breastfeeding kept her well and let her enjoy life to the fullest," she said of her child, who passed away at age 14 months.

"Breastfeeding is something positive you can do for your baby and it makes you feel so good knowing you're giving them the best there is."

On Saturday, Eastern Health - in partnership with Breastfeeding Newfoundland and Labrador and the Le Leche League of Canada - will celebrate World Breastfeeding Week from 10 a.m. to noon at the Avalon Mall.

A worldwide breastfeeding challenge begins at 11 a.m.

"The challenge is about seeing how many moms we can get breastfeeding their babies at the same time," said Jane Bannister of the Le Leche League.

Last year, more than 7,500 babies in 19 countries were breastfed during the challenge.

danette@nl.rogers.com